Abstract: A frame has an elongate form with elongate rest shelves on lateral sides thereof to support ceiling tiles. Ends of the frame are connected to T-bars within a suspended ceiling, as one example of mounting system for the loudspeaker of this invention. A yoke is fixed within a channel of the frame. The yoke has a pair of arms supporting magnets on ends thereof. A gap is provided between the magnets. A voice strip is located within this gap between the magnets and has a piston thereon which includes a diaphragm. A voice coil associated with the voice strip interacts with a magnetic field created by the magnets to cause the piston to vibrate, and in turn to cause the diagram to emit sound waves. The diaphragm is elongate with a width less than 10% of its length. A surround supports a perimeter of the diaphragm relative to the frame.

Abstract: An acoustic transducer and method for driving same. A flat or somewhat curved panel has one or more drive motors at selected locations to generate transverse waves in the panel and concomitant longitudinal acoustic waves in an acoustic medium in which the panel is disposed. It also has attenuation features, such as damping or active wave cancellation motors, at one or more boundaries to substantially attenuate or essentially cancel arriving transverse waves and the reflections they would otherwise produce, thereby creating virtual infinite panel boundaries and reducing or substantially eliminating unwanted modes and wave interference in the panel. A linear motor is provided for driving one or more edges of the panel.

Abstract: A linear loudspeaker motor. A flat, relatively thin, rigid elongate motor armature is disposed in a gap between the north pole of one elongate magnet and the south of another elongate magnet, or a gap between the north and south poles of the same, or effectively the same, magnet. Several alternative means are provided to suspend the armature in the gap. The armature includes an elongate electrically conductive, low impedance strip. When a current flows in the strip, a force is produced that tends to move the elongate armature in or out of the gap, thereby displacing a loudspeaker diaphragm to which it is attached.

Abstract: An acoustic transducer and method for driving same. A flat or somewhat curved panel has one or more drive motors at selected locations to generate transverse waves in the panel and concomitant longitudinal acoustic waves in an acoustic medium in which the panel is disposed. It also has attenuation features, such as damping or active wave cancellation motors, at one or more boundaries to substantially attenuate or essentially cancel arriving transverse waves and the reflections they would otherwise produce, thereby creating virtual infinite panel boundaries and reducing or substantially eliminating unwanted modes and wave interference in the panel. A linear motor is provided for driving one or more edges of the panel.

Abstract: A linear loudspeaker motor. A flat, relatively thin, rigid elongate motor armature is disposed in a gap between the north pole of one elongate magnet and the south of another elongate magnet, or a gap between the north and south poles of the same, or effectively the same, magnet. Several alternative means are provided to suspend the armature in the gap. The armature includes an elongate electrically conductive, low impedance strip. When a current flows in the strip, a force is produced that tends to move the elongate armature in or out of the gap, thereby displacing a loudspeaker diaphragm to which it is attached.

Abstract: An active noise cancellation device is described that is capable of cancelling an ambient sound wave in an open air environment via destructive interference. The active noise cancellation device comprises a directional microphone, a directional loudspeaker, and a signal processing module. The directional loudspeaker can comprise either one or two dipole loudspeakers in combination with a sealed loudspeaker. Multiple active noise cancellation devices can be arranged in arrays to create open air active noise cancellation systems. Each active noise cancellation device within the array, when combined with the outputs of the other devices within the array, produces a noise cancellation wavefront that actively cancels a portion of an ambient sound wavefront. Arrays of any geometry or spatial dimension are possible.

Abstract: A mechanical-to-acoustical transducer has at least one actuator, preferably a piezo motor, that is coupled, generally perpendicularly, to one edge of a diaphragm formed from a thin, flexible sheet material. The diaphragm is fixed at a point spaced from the actuator in the direction of its motion so that excursion of the actuator is translated into a corresponding, mechanically-amplified, excursion of the diaphragm—typically amplified five to seven times. The diaphragm is curved, preferably parabolically, and to a small degree. The diaphragm, if optically clear, can be mounted on a frame over a video display screen to provide a screen speaker. Preferably, such a screen speaker is pinned or adhered at upper and lower edges at or near its vertical centerline and is supported by and driven at both lateral edges by one or more single layer piezo actuators.

Abstract: A mechanical-to-acoustical transducer has at least one actuator, preferably a piezo motor, that is coupled, generally perpendicularly, to one edge of a diaphragm formed from a thin, flexible sheet material. The diaphragm is fixed at a point spaced from the actuator in the direction of its motion so that excursion of the actuator is translated into a corresponding, mechanically-amplified, excursion of the diaphragm—typically amplified five to seven times. The diaphragm is curved, preferably parabolically, and to a small degree. The diaphragm, if optically clear, can be mounted on a frame over a video display screen to provide a screen speaker. Preferably, such a screen speaker is pinned or adhered at upper and lower edges at or near its vertical centerline and is supported by and driven at both lateral edges by one or more single layer piezo actuators.

Abstract: A mechanical-to-acoustical transducer has at least one actuator, preferably a piezo motor, that is coupled, generally perpendicularly, to one edge of a diaphragm formed from a thin, flexible sheet material. The diaphragm is fixed at a point spaced from the actuator in the direction of its motion so that excursion of the actuator is translated into a corresponding, mechanically-amplified, excursion of the diaphragm—typically amplified five to seven times. The diaphragm is curved, preferably parabolically, and to a small degree. The diaphragm, if optically clear, can be mounted on a frame over a video display screen to provide a screen speaker. Preferably, such a screen speaker is pinned or adhered at upper and lower edges at or near its vertical centerline and is supported by and driven at both lateral edges by one or more single layer piezo actuators.

Abstract: A planar-type loudspeaker is provided which includes at least two separate, substantially flat, substantially coplanar diaphragms driven by a common drive mechanism. The diaphragms are each of a material and are dimensioned so that each has only a limited number of natural modes of vibration in the frequency band in which it is to operate and that corresponding natural modes for the diaphragms are close enough to achieve beneficial mechanical coupling and acoustics interference so as to provide a generally uniform acoustic pressure response over the selected frequency band. The diaphragms are preferably coupled only through the drive mechanism and it is preferable that each diaphragm have only two natural modes of vibration in the selected frequency band.

Abstract: A mechanical-to-acoustical transducer has at least one actuator, preferably a piezo motor, that is coupled, generally perpendicularly, to one edge of a diaphragm formed from a thin, flexible sheet material. The diaphragm is fixed at a point spaced from the actuator in the direction of its motion so that excursion of the actuator is translated into a corresponding, mechanically-amplified, excursion of the diaphragm—typically amplified five to seven times. The diaphragm is curved, preferably parabolically, and to a small degree. The diaphragm, if optically clear, can be mounted on a frame over a video display screen to provide a screen speaker. Preferably, such a screen speaker is pinned or adhered at upper and lower edges at or near its vertical centerline and is supported by and driven at both lateral edges by one or more single layer piezo actuators.